TTC and still Breastfeeding? You are not alone - come to our bf-friendly cafe for a chat and some cake!

[MisterSafetyCatchIsNotOn]

Over here all breastfeeding ttcers! Welcome to our thread - a place for us to come for support, information and to talk about the extra challenges of ttc while still breastfeeding (or expressing like myself).

I thought I should go ahead and start the new thread as the old one is about to fill up and I didn't want anyone to get lost (hope that's ok Waiting and that you haven't already done this and I just missed it!)

For anyone who is new to the thread or needs a reminder, here are a few links to some useful websites (thanks Waiting for putting these together)

kellymom.com/bf/normal/ttc-while-bf/

kellymom.com/bf/normal/fertility/

www.llli.org/nb/nbmayjune04p114.html

www.fertilityfriend.com/Faqs/Fertility-charting-while-breastfeeding.html

I've taken the time to read whole thread now and very encouraged by weebairn's method! We want another baby but haven't been dtd every day by any means or even every other day -- need to step it up this months. My period is due around the 13th and don't think I managed to get pg this month.

:-( Think AF is starting - boo. Will try harder next month!

rosepetal - I'm impressed you've read the whole thread! That would take me ages. Sorry to hear you think AF is on her way. Would that be a bit early for you? I'm trying to think of things to keep me occupied for the next couple of weeks, but feel like I just want to drink which I have managed not to tonight.

It would be a bit early, yes. Double crap!
At least it means I can have a glass of wine.

I'm not sure I understand this two week wait biz. Does it mean you do it like crazy for the first 10 days of your cycle or so, then assume the ship has sailed?

I'm in the middle of the 2ww and driving myself potty. One minute I'm certain I'm pregnant what with a sore boob, a horrid taste in my mouth and feeling more knackered than usual but then I also think AF is going to turn up on schedule at the end of the week. Roll on Friday when I can POAS and know! Agggh!

On the breastfeeding front it looks like DS has dropped his feed first thing in the morning which I'm happy about.

Congrats to those with BFP

rosepetal the tww is the time between ovulation and the end of your cycle... i.e. when AF arrives. It isn't actually always 2 weeks for some ladies as it depends on your cycle and assumes you have a text book 28 day cycle. Also known as luteal phase. Its the long forever waiting time, often filled with symptom spotting, waiting for AF. As for the first couple of weeks of your cycle, what people do varies. There's various 'techniques' or 'plans'! Some stick with the sex every couple of days through out the whole cycle. We seem to wear ourselves out when I think I'm ovulating, then plan to continue every couple of days, but are always too knackered!

Think we might have worn ourselves out way too early this month as definitely having ov pains today. Wondering if my LP might be strangely short this month. . . or if my cycle might be longer than pre m/c...

goodbye - its not over until AF shows up. Fingers crossed for you on Friday

Rose, as far as I understand it, you're only fertile for a couple/few days around ovulation so DTD on days 1-7 might be a bit much. Also, once ov has been and gone, there's no "target to hit", so pointless really, or for enjoyment only. DP and I save up for ov and it all feels non-romantic and planned and awkward and a bit of a chore by day 5. We then don't really want to touch each other after that. Haha.

I'm developing a nice little health dossier here. No idea on pg symptoms but I appear to be getting headaches in the 2nd half of my cycle. So possibly PMS that I never really realised I have? Also another coldsore. What the actual?? They can get lost, for sure.

My lovely DS is being so totally adorable at the moment. Sometimes my emotions swing between thinking I absolutely must get him a playmate and how great he'll be as a big brother all the way to thinking he is deserving of ALL my attention and no-one else will compare and I'll never have the same luck a second time.

AF arrived today so 51 day cycle. So glad my body is working again and we can try TTC soon. I wonder if you will have an overly long second cycle after mc mrsdiddly or if you will get a BFP!

Not sure what to think about when I may ovulate next cycle...!

Good grief June, that's insane. Have you considered getting an OPK? It might help to alleviate a bit of the CM analysis. I've found mine to be different and more difficult to determine since having DS. I used an OPK last month and it predicted the start of fertility as being day 12, and continued til day 15. The previous month I kept putting it off thinking that surely day 12 was too early out of a 30ish day cycle, so maybe I missed the boat entirely? The expensive OPK said days 12, 13, 14, 15 while the internet cheapies alerted me in the afternoon of day 15 and the morning of day 16 and it was apparently all over by noon of day 16.

No idea if this month has been successful though, so I may be spouting rubbish of course.

Yellowbrick, when are you planning to test? I'm considering Friday (ov circa Thurs 26 July), but will probably wait til Saturday so DP can be here for the result as well.

Thank you zoobaby that is v useful. We're going to try extra hard next month! I will be back if I have news. Good luck everyone!

zoobaby - no test for me this month as AF has turned up. I'm not surprised but still a little disappointed. Considering using OPK as (and I know I sound ridiculous) I'd ideally want to have a due date of no later than June next year as we live overseas and a v dear friend is getting married late in the summer in the UK which I don't want to miss. Fingers crossed for you on Friday!

Can anyone recommend a brand of OPK?

Bummer yellow. If you read Mister's post on 12 June it explains OPKs pretty well. I opted for the clearblue digital to eliminate interpretation from the scenario . I got the dual hormone which costs more than the regular one. It highlighted 4 days for me. Bought from Amazon as much cheaper. I also got some of the cheapies mentioned by Mister, which only highlighted about a 12 hour window for me. Fingers crossed for success. Not feeling symptomatic soon no idea really.

I caved. Amazon is a bad, bad place if you are trying not to spend money. Just bought some OPKs. I know I'm lucky in that I (usually) have a regular cycle, but I constantly think I'm ov and that its over, and then get confused and worried we've peaked too soon so next month I will know.

Any news zoobaby? I think you said you might test today?

Hopefully things will settle down and this cycle will be a much more normal length for you June, long cycles are rubbish.

Sorry about AF Yellowbrick. I set little deadlines for myself too, I think it's just to fool myself into believing I have some control when I don't at all. I think it probably makes things worse but I can't help myself. Originally I was set on having a second baby by DS's second birthday, he was 2 yesterday so that obviously didn't happen - my current target is his 3rd birthday!

mrsd it's so hard to resist when they are so much cheaper on amazon! I also caved and bought loads of cheap pg tests, which just means I will be much more tempted to poas way too early, use them all up and have to buy the expensive ones from the chemist anyway sigh

I'm on cd15 and fertility monitor still coming back with high fertility every morning, so no ov yet. I'm wondering if it will just keep coming back as high until it detects an LH surge whatever my body is doing (might not be til day 27+ based on the last few cycles) but still hopeful that I might ov earlier this cycle. Seeing the GP this afternoon about my irregular cycles.

Hi to update, it all wasn't meant to be scan showed no an 'empty uterus' and bloods show pregnancy is failing, waiting for the cm to start and seriously contemplating weaning now. Good luck to all the lovely ladies on this thread xx

Sorry that makes no sense at all. I'm in a bit of a state, I'm waiting for a miscarriage to start because I've been told the pregnancy is failing

So very sorry to read that Bees. What an awful experience for you to go through. No advice but please do be kind to yourself during this time.

Bees I am so, so sorry and very sad to hear your news. I hope you have someone with you. This baby making business is tough sometimes. Just keep breathing and surviving. Having been through a mc recently I know just how heartbreaking it is. My best friend keeps reminding me that time heals ... eventually... and she is right. Won't feel like it now but you will get through it. Take as much time as you need to deal with this. x x x

Really so sorry to hear your news Bees, hope you're getting some TLC in RL. So hard. Lots of and , give yourself time.

The waiting is horrible I just want it done with, no idea when I'll start bleeding I'm worried the bf has contributed to this. Looks like a very early loss at 4w although I never could work out the dates and there was some concern it was ectopic which I have no risk factors for
Thank you for the support, I haven't slept at all. We were so happy

Bees my understanding is BF shouldn't contribute to a mc in a healthy pregnancy. There is allsorts on the internet about it. I read up on it after my mc and decided that my pregnancy just wasn't meant to be and that bf probably didn't cause it. Stopping bf completely doesn't guarantee that a future pregnancy couldn't go the same way or necessarily increase your chances or getting pregnant. I wouldn't make any rushed decisions. I understand your thought process though. I actually found bf to be a huge comfort during and since my mc. We are all different though and you need to do what is right for you. xx I wasn't given much information by the nhs or my gp on what to expect with my natural mc. I don't know if you have found it but there is a really useful thread in the mc section of talk where ladies have described their experiences. If you can't find it let me know and I'll post the link. Don't go to work or anything. Stay home. Take it easy on yourself

Thanks, I've made a commitment to feed until 2 so I think I'll stick with that although dd only feeds once daily and my milk has dropped since bfp. I think she'll probably wean if I get pregnant anyway, she's not impressed by dry nursing and keeps asking for the other one!! I has to explain I don't have 3 boobs

I'm really sad today but I have no idea how long it will take to miscarry which is horrible

Thanks for listening to my ramblings xx

Dear Bees, sorry to hear this, it's very tough. I wish you all the best and hope you get a period of increased fertility after your MC as I did when I had one (hence DC1).

Hi bees-sorry to fear your news.. I know how hard it is being in limbo and hope you don't have to wait very long, I would think as it was early it should happen fairly soon..

I've had two recent miscarriages and thought also about weaning but I have managed to cut down to two feeds a day (my dd is 3 though!)

Hope the next few days go well for you and you have the support you need to go through this time.